Draft-gear and buffing mechanism.



H. F. POPE. DRAFT GEAR AND BUFFING'MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITN ESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0, WASHINGTON. D4 6.

H. F. POPE.

DRAFT GEAR AND BUFFI-NG MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR 44 ffl 94%) ITN ESSES -.'0LuMan\ PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, n.c,

H. F. POPE. DRAFT GEAR AND BUFPING MEOHANISM.

AI'TLIOATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

Patented Mar. 25,1913. I

\ 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR 44 x @(L M1 WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH CO-.WASHINUTON. D.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. POPE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLECASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DRAFT-GEAR AND BUFFING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. Porn, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, Ouyahoga county,Ohio, have invented a new and useful Draft-Gear and Bufling Mechanism,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view partly insection showing my radial draft-gear; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection, partly in side elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail viewpartly in section, showing the manner of connecting the buffer andcoupler shanks; Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective View of the couplershank extension; Fig. 5 is adetail plan view showing a modifiedconstruction; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a draft gear having a radiallyswinging coupler and a radially swinging buffer related so as to operatetogether and. to afford efficient means by which both the coupler andbuffer can adapt themselves to the motion .of the car truck as it passesaround curves, and will operate properly under all such conditions ofuse. The device is especially adapted for passenger cars- .This sockethas opposite lateral recesses in which connecting plates 5 are fixed,preferably by bolts 6 which pass through the plates and through thesocket and the contained coupler shank. The plates extend upwardly andserve to give a connection between the coupler shank and the buffermechanism, as explained below.

The extension 3 at its rear end is curved upwardly and is connected by ayoke or other suitable device 7 with a draft rigging 8 set between thesills of the cars, and the coupler shank is also preferably providedwith a sliding sleeve 9, from which guiding connections 9 are extendedto the truck in a manner as heretofore known. These guiding connectionsare preferably made in the form of telescopically fitted Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed June 2, 1908.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913. Serial No. 436,187.

parts containing springs 59, and they are pivo-tally connected at 9 and9 to the socket 9 and to the truck-frame of the car, respectively. Theconstruction of the draft rigging is notof the essence of thisinvention. The coupler shank is supported by carry-irons 10 which extendbetween the sills of the car and may be supported by hangers 11. Thecoupler shank extension 3 has a vertical pivot pin 12 which connects itto the yoke 7 so that when the car is passing around curves the couplerand its shank will swing radially on the axis of the pin 12 and willconstantly be kept thereby approximately at the central portion of therailway track.

13 is the face plate of the buffer, having a rearwardly-extending forkedshank formed with two parallel arms 14, 14:, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.Between these arms of the buifer extends a transverse carry-iron 15which is curved as shown in Fig. 1, and is connected to the center sills16 and intermediate sills 16 of the car.

The rear end of the forked buffer shank is held by a spring casing 19,preferably made in two longitudinally divided parts, and the said shankhas at the outer surfaces of its arms 14, 1 1 sockets shown by dottedlines in Fig.' 3, to which projections c, 0 011 the casing extend sothat when the parts of the casing are held by the bolts they will beclamped firmly and rigidly upon the arms of the buffer shank, a fillerpiece 19 being interposed between the arms. The spring casing extendsrearwardly from the buffer shank, and fits telescopically over a rearspring casing 21 which extends within the spring casing 19 and containsinterposed butfing spring mechanism which is compressed by backwardmotion of the buffer shank and the spring casing 19. The springmechanism comprises preferably two springs 22 and 22, the spring 22*being an auxiliary spring of less capacity than the main spring 22, andbeing designed to exert a constant tension sufficient to force thebuffer and its shank outwardly and to keep it in contact with thecorresponding buifer of another car, even when the coupler shank isunder draft and is drawn out to its full extent. This spring also aidsthe main spring 22 in the work of bufiing under compression.

The construction and arrangement of the buffer spring mechanism may bevaried in many ways,-since my invention does not relate thereto, butrelates to the manner in which the buffer with its spring mechanism isconnected to the extension of the swinging coupler shank and is thusbacked by the draft rigging 8. For this purpose, as shown in thedrawings, the extension 3 of the coupler shank is provided with anupwardly projecting shoulder or portion 23, preferably formed integralwith the extension 3 and constituting a shoulder against which the rearend of the buffer mechanism, preferably an extension of the springcasing 21, has an end bearing. The rear end or extension of the springcasing 21 and the face of the shoulder 23 are preferably flanged, asshown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4:, being provided with interfittingflanges a, b, so that the buffer mechanism will not be displacedlaterally from engagement with the extension of the coupler shank.Instead of this device I may use the device shown in detail in Figs. 5and 6, in which the parts 21 and 23 are provided with abutting flangesa, b, which are bolted together with bolts (5. The particular part ofthe buffer shank which bears on the shoulder 23, and the location of thespring mechanism in the buffer shank are not essential to my inventionbroadly considered. This arrangement, however, may be varied.

In the form of Figs. 5 and 6 the member 21 forms a structural part ofthe coupler shank extension, being rigidly secured thereto.

The engagement of the buffer with the coupler shank is effected by theplates or projections 5, which, extending upwardly from the couplershank as above described, fit on opposite sides of the spring casing 19,as shown in Fig. 3 so as to permit independent longitudinal motion ofthe coupler shank and buffer. The coupler head and buffer also engage at24. The transverse member of the buffer is thus kept at right angles toits shank and also to the shank of the coupler.

WVith the construction above described the coupler and its extensionwill swing radially on the axis of the pivot 12 as the car passes aroundcurves, and the buffer mechanism will also swing therewith, being guidedand moved by the connection 5 with the coupler shank. The stresses ofbutting are transmitted through the coupler and the coupler extension 3to the draft rigging, and through the buffer plate 13 and its arms andspring mechanism through the coupler extension 3 and thence to the draftrigging.

I claim 1. A laterally swinging draft member mounted for longitudinalmovement in buffing and draft, a draft-rigging, a laterallyswingingbuffer swinging with the draft member and having a centrally locatedshank which has a relatively stationary rear bearing against the draftmember, whereby stresses of butling are transmitted through thedraft-member to the draft-rigging.

2. A laterally swinging draft member mounted for longitudinal movementin bulfing and draft, a draft-rigging, a laterallyswinging bufferswinging with the draft member and having a centrally located shankwhich has a relatively stationary rear bearing against the draft member,whereby stresses of butting are transmitted through the draft-member tothe draft-rigging, and spring mechanism interposed in the buffer betweenthe butting face and the rear bearing against the draft member.

3. A laterally swinging draft member mounted for longitudinal movementin butting and draft, a draft-rigging, a laterally swinging bufferswinging with the draft member and having a centrally located shankwhich has a relatively stationary rear bearing against the draft member,whereby stresses of bufiing are transmitted through the draft-member tothe draft-rigging, and a longitudinally sliding connection between thedraft-member and the buffer.

4:. A laterally swinging draft member mounted for longitudinal movementin halfing and draft, a laterally swinging buffer swinging with thedraft member and having a centrally located shank which has a relativelystationary rear bearin against the draft member, said draft-mom er beingpivotally mounted, and a draft-rigging placed back of the pivot and heldfrom lateral swinging motion.

5. A laterally swinging draft member mounted for longitudinal movementin buffing and draft, a draft-rigging, a laterally swinging bufferswinging with the draft member and having a centrally located shankwhich has a relatively stationary rear bearing against the draft membersubstantially in line with the draft rigging.

6. A laterally swinging draft-member mounted for longitudinal movementin buffing and draft, a laterally swinging buii'er swinging with thedraft-member and having a centrally located shank which has a relativelystationary rear bearin against the draft member, said draft member beingpivotally mounted, and a draft-rigging placed back of the pivot,substantially in line with the buffer face.

7. A draft member mounted for longitudinal movement in bufiing anddraft, a buffer having a centrally located shank which has a rearbutting bearing against the draft member and adapted to transmit buiiingstresses therethrough, and a draft rigging substantially in line withthe buffer face.

8. 1 11 a railway car draft and bufiing appliance, the combination of adraft gear, a coupler extension capable of swinging relatively thereto,a buffer, a connection between said buffer and said extension anddisposed longitudinally of the former, and means to compel substantiallysimultaneous lateral shifting of said extension and buffer.

9. In a railway car draft and bufling appliance, the combination of adraft gear, a coupler extension pivoted thereto, a buffer above theforward portion of said extension and having a central shank which has arelatively stationary bearing against said extension, and a support forthe forward end of said buffer beneath the same and above the coupler.

10. The combination of a spring rigging, a spring bufi er inlongitudinal alinement therewith, and a draft member having its frontportion below the buffer and its rear portion bet-ween and inlongitudinal alinement with the buffer and the spring rigging andengaged with the latter for bufiing and draft stresses, and the bufferhaving a buffer bearing against said rear portion of the draft member.

11. The combination of a spring rigging, a spring buffer in longitudinalalinement therewith, and a radially swinging draft member pivoted to thespring rigging with its forward portion disposed below the buffer andengaged therewith to swing the buffer laterally with the draft member,the rear portion of the draft member between the buffer and the riggingbeing in longitudinal alinement with said members, and

the buffer having a buffing bearing against said rear portion of thedraft member.

12. A radially swinging pivoted coupler and coupler shank extenslon aspring rigging to which the shank extension 'is piv- 'being inlongitudinal alinement with said members.

13. In a railway car draft and buffing appliance, the combination of adraft rigging, a coupler extension pivoted thereto and having an upperrear portion and a lower portion, a buffer above said lower portion ofthe extension, a buffer-spring interposed between the front bufling faceof the buffer and the rear portion of said extension, the buffingstresses received by the buffer being transmitted through the upper rearportion of said extension in a horizontal plane coincident with saidbufier, and means to limit the outward shifting of said buffer;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY F. POPE. Witnesses:

HARRY E. ORR, HARRY T. KRAKAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

